Matchmaking for online gaming with simulated players

Abstract

A matchmaking system matches players for online gaming, when some of the players may be human players and others may be simulated players. The matchmaking system may determine a first skill score associated with a first player for an online game, determine a behavior simulation model for a simulated player is available for the online game, determine a second skill score associated with the behavior simulation model for the online game, and determine the behavior simulation model matches with the first player based at on the first skill score being within a threshold of the second skill score. The matchmaking system may then instantiate a simulated player based on the behavior simulation model and instantiate the online game with the first player and the simulated player.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: 
 determine a first skill score associated with a first player for an online game; 
 determine a second skill score associated with a second player for the online game; 
 determine that the first skill score is within a threshold of the second skill score; 
 determine that the second player is unavailable; 
 determine that a behavior simulation model is available, wherein the behavior simulation model is based on the second player; 
 instantiate a simulated player based on the behavior simulation model such that the simulated player exhibits latency effects, by instantiating the simulated player on hardware remote from a server hosting the online game; and 
 instantiate the online game with the first player and the simulated player. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 receive, from a game system, a first message indicating that the first player is to be matched for online gaming for the online game. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein to determine the second skill score associated with the second player, the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 determine an identifier of the second player; 
 access a player datastore storing respective player skill scores corresponding to a plurality of players, the plurality of players comprising the second player; and 
 determine, from the player datastore the second skill score based at least in part on the identifier. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 perform a search for another player that is available and that matches with the first player for the online game, matching with the first player at least including having an associated skill score within a threshold of the first skill score; and 
 wherein the determining that the behavior simulation model is available and instantiation of the simulated player are performed based at least in part on the search failing to return another player that is available and that matches with the first player for the online game. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein to instantiate the online game with the first player and the simulated player, the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 initiate an instance of the online game with the first player and the simulated player that presents the simulated player to the first player as if the second player were controlling the simulated player. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the online game is a first instance of the online game, the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 collect, for one or more second instances of the online game, outcomes for the one or more second instances and behavior data for the second player during the one or more second instances; 
 retrain the behavior simulation model using the outcomes for the one or more second instances and the behavior data for the second player during the one or more second instances. 
 
     
     
       7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 determining a first skill score associated with a first player for an online game; 
 determining a behavior simulation model is available, wherein the behavior simulation model is for a simulated player of the online game; 
 determining a second skill score associated with the behavior simulation model for the online game; 
 determining the behavior simulation model matches with the first player based at least on the first skill score being within a threshold of the second skill score; 
 instantiating a simulated player based on the behavior simulation model such that the simulated player exhibits latency effects by one or more of:
 instantiating the simulated player on hardware remote from a server hosting the online game; or 
 instantiating the simulated player to include a delay approximating latency effects for received incoming data from the online game and for outgoing data sent to the online game; and 
 
 instantiating the online fame with the first player and the simulated player. 
 
     
     
       8. The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the behavior simulation model is based on behavior of a second player. 
     
     
       9. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , the determining the behavior simulation model is available comprises:
 determining an identifier of the behavior simulation model; 
 accessing a behavior simulation model datastore storing respective behavior simulation models corresponding to a plurality of players, the plurality of players comprising the second player; and 
 determining, from the behavior simulation model datastore, the behavior simulation model is present based at least in part on the identifier. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , the method further comprising:
 determining a first playstyle corresponding to the first player; 
 determining a second playstyle of the behavior simulation model; 
 determining the first playstyle and second playstyle match for the online game; and 
 wherein the determining the behavior simulation model matches with the first player is further based at least in part on the determining that the first playstyle and second playstyle match for the online game. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein instantiating the online game with the first player and the simulated player instantiates a first instance of the online game, the online game is a team based online game, the method further comprises:
 performing a search for another player that is available and that matches with the first player for the online game, the determining that the behavior simulation model is available and instantiation of the simulated player being performed in response to the search failing to return another player that is available and that matches with the first player for the online game; 
 determining a team history corresponding to the first player, the team history indicative of other players that the first player has teamed with for a plurality of second instances of the online game; 
 determining the second player is included in the team history corresponding to the first player, the determining that the behavior simulation model matches with the first player being further based at least in part on the team history corresponding to the first player including the second player. 
 
     
     
       12. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein instantiating the online game with the first player and the simulated player comprises:
 initiating an instance of the online game with the first player and the simulated player that presents the simulated player to the first player as if the second player were controlling the simulated player. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the online game is a first instance of the online game, the method further comprising:
 collecting, for one or more second instances of the online game, outcomes for the one or more second instances and behavior data for the second player during the one or more second instances; 
 retraining the behavior simulation model based on the second player using the outcomes for the one or more second instances and the behavior data for the second player during the one or more second instances. 
 
     
     
       14. A system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: 
 determining a first plurality of first players who wish to play an online game as a first team; 
 determining one or more unfilled slots for the online game to fill with simulated players; 
 determining one or more behavior simulation models suitable to fill corresponding unfilled slots, wherein the one or more behavior simulation models provide one or more corresponding simulated players; 
 instantiating the one or more corresponding simulated players based on the one or more behavior simulation models such the one or more corresponding simulated players exhibit latency effects by instantiating the one or more corresponding simulated players to include a delay approximating latency effects for received incoming data from the online game and for outgoing data sent to the online game; and 
 filling the one or more unfilled slots with the one or more corresponding simulated players; 
 instantiating the online game with the first plurality of first players and the one or more corresponding simulated players. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the unfilled slots are unfilled slots in a second team to play against the first team as opponents in the online game, the one or more behavior simulation models are based on one or more corresponding second players of a plurality of second players and wherein determining the one or more behavior simulation models that provide the one or more corresponding simulated players suitable to fill the corresponding unfilled slots comprises:
 determining respective skill scores for the first plurality of first players; 
 determining, based on team history data of the plurality of second players, a third plurality of second players whose team history data indicates the third plurality of second players are associated as a team; 
 determining respective skill scores for the third plurality of second players; 
 determining the respective skill scores for the first plurality of first players match with the respective skill scores for the third plurality of second players; and 
 determining, in response to determining the respective skill scores for the first plurality of first players match with the respective skill scores for the third plurality of second players, a plurality of behavior simulation models corresponding to the third plurality of second players are suitable to fill the corresponding unfilled slots. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 determine one or more first playstyles of first plurality of first players match with one or more second playstyles of the third plurality of second players; and 
 the determining the plurality of behavior simulation models corresponding to the third plurality of second players are suitable to fill the corresponding unfilled slots is further in response to the determining the one or more first playstyles of first plurality of first players match with the one or more second playstyles of the third plurality of second players. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more behavior simulation models are based on one or more corresponding second players of a plurality of second players;
 the instantiating the online game with the first plurality of first players and the one or more corresponding simulated players comprises:
 initiating an instance of the online game with the first plurality of first players and the one or more corresponding simulated players that presents the one or more corresponding simulated players to the first plurality of first players as if the one or more corresponding second players were controlling the corresponding simulated players. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more unfilled slots are one or more unfilled slots in the first team, the one or more behavior simulation models are based on one or more corresponding second players of a plurality of second players and wherein the determining the one or more behavior simulation models that provide the one or more corresponding simulated players suitable to fill the corresponding unfilled slots comprises:
 determining one or more of skill score data, playstyle data, and team history data for the first plurality of first players and for the one or more corresponding second players; 
 determining the one or more corresponding second players match the first plurality of first players based on one of the skill score data, the playstyle data, and the team history data; and 
 determining the one or more behavior simulation models are suitable to fill the one or more unfilled slot based on the determining the one or more corresponding second players match the first plurality of first players based on one of the skill score data, the playstyle data, and the team history data. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 14 , wherein a particular unfilled slot of the unfilled slots is an unfilled slot in the first team, the particular unfilled slot in the first team having an associated role in the first team, a particular behavior simulation model of the one or more behavior simulation models being based on a corresponding second player of a plurality of second players and wherein the determining the one or more behavior simulation models that provide the one or more corresponding simulated players suitable to fill the corresponding unfilled slots comprises:
 determining one or more of skill score data, playstyle data, and team history data for the first plurality of first players and for the corresponding second player in the role associated with the particular unfilled slot; 
 determining the corresponding second player in the role associated with the particular unfilled slot matches the first plurality of first players based on one of the skill score data, the playstyle data, and the team history data; and 
 determining the particular behavior simulation model is suitable to fill the particular unfilled slot based on the determining the corresponding second player in the role associated with the particular unfilled slot matches the first plurality of first players based on one of the skill score data, the playstyle data, and the team history data.